


Soul, Body and Spirit

by PawOfPabu



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, F/F, Korra literally spends days crying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-13
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:08:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26984173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PawOfPabu/pseuds/PawOfPabu
Summary: Man is thought to be made of three things. Soul, body and spirit. When the new spirit portal opened, Korra lost part of herself with no clear way to get it back.
Relationships: Korra/Asami Sato
Comments: 7
Kudos: 61





	1. Bad

**Author's Note:**

> I just want to preface this story by saying I quite literally based it off asking myself 'What could make Korra cry uncontrollably for hours on end with no easy resolution in sight?' If you guys do like this idea or the basics of it, I suggest you check out Soul Bound by ISHIPALLTHETHINGS91. It's an ongoing story that broadly speaking has the same idea of soul and spirit. Definitely worth checking out IMO!

“I may not have been an orphan, but believe me, I understand what it feels like to be afraid. After I was poisoned, I would’ve done anything to feel in control.” Korra pushed down the burning feeling in her chest. Something she assumed was because of the new spirit portal. She would deal with it later. Kuvira gave her a look, hand over her side. “C’mon. Let’s get back to our world.”

Kuvira didn’t reject the arm Korra offered, that pulled her up and held onto her as they started walking towards the portal. While Kuvira didn’t say anything more, she also got the feeling that she didn’t have to. She didn’t bother to look in Korra’s direction, instead settling for the view of their feet. It was when she saw Korra slightly stumble that she looked up, Korra’s face blank as she started to breathe heavier. “What is it?” Kuvira asked, getting no response. Instead, Korra fell forwards, Kuvira noting that their bodies were no longer in the spirit world as Korra hit the ground now covered in spirit vines.

“Korra?”

Kuvira ignored the voices around her, instead kneeling down next to Korra’s body as it started to contract. Before she had time to do anything, a hand had gripped onto her collar and pulled her back, Bolin’s face above hers with Mako at his side. 

“What did you do?!” Mako yelled, Kuvira paying no attention to the two as Korra’s body seized.

“Nothing! I didn’t- I didn’t do anything!” She explained, keeping her hand on her side. 

“Release Kuvira, or we will attack!”

“Tenzin! She’s seizing-” 

“Cut the shit, Kuvira, what happened!”

Her mind was spinning, the calm of the spirit world now completely forgotten. “S-Stand down! This battle is over,” She yelled to her soldiers, turning to Mako. “I did nothing! She was fine before we came through the spirit portal!”

“Something’s wrong,” Kuvira shifted her gaze from Korra to one of the air benders, the only one other than Tenzin with the arrows. Lin and Su were at Kuvira’s side next, dragging her up by her hands and slapping handcuffs around her wrists. 

“If you did something you better say so, now.” Su practically growled, Kuvira shaking her head as they pushed her back onto the ground. She watched Mako and Bolin run off to Korra’s side.

“I owe the Avatar my life. Her power is beyond anything I could ever hope to achieve. She-” Kuvira looked back to Korra’s now limp body, Lin stepping in front of her gaze. “What’s happening?”

Lin looked behind her, seeing Tenzin’s kids as well as Varrick and Zhu Li now also at Korra’s side. “She’s stopped seizing.”

“Is she breathing..?”

Lin could only shake her head. “I don’t know.” Su gave her sister a look. 

“Go. I can handle her.” Kuvira ignored the words Su didn’t speak, instead staring at the huddling crowd around where Korra had fallen. She recalled the past few minutes of events: Korra speaking to her, helping her up, entering the spirit portal. Korra falling out of the spirit portal, body seizing, body going limp.

“When we entered the spirit portal,” Kuvira started, feeling Su’s gaze shift to her. “She was fine in the spirit world, and was breathing heavily when we entered the spirit portal. She fell out when we got here,” She noted, Su shifting her gaze back to the group.

“Did she do anything in the spirit world?”

“Other than speaking to me, no. Nothing outside of regular things for her.”

The smaller two of the airbenders then took off, Suyin and Kuvira blind to what had been said that made them leave. “Su,” The woman looked up to Lin as she made her way back over. “Prepare yourself for an impromptu trip to the southern water tribe. Jinora says there’s something wrong with the Avatar spirit, she needs to see Katara,”

“And Kuvira?” Su asked. Lin looked down, crouching to Kuvira’s height.

“You’re coming along because you were the last person to see her before anything went wrong. If you so much as lift a finger the way I don’t like I won’t hesitate to send a piece of metal through your skull. Am I clear?

Kuvira hadn’t taken her eyes off Korra’s limp body since she fell. “Crystal.” She could make out distant sobbing now that a silence befell the area immediately around her. Korra was whimpering something she couldn’t understand, Kuvira watching Asami lean down presumably to wrap the girl in a hug. 

As the two airbenders that had left before landed with a sky bison, Kuvira was dragged onto the saddle, Lin holding her by the shoulder on one side, Su on the other. The three young airbenders as well as Mako and Bolin climbed aboard, none of which paying attention to her as Asami carried a sobbing Avatar onto the bison. The Avatar had clung onto Asami, arms around her and face stuffed into her neck with a wet spot from tears already forming on her shirt. When Asami looked up to meet Kuvira’s eyes, she could only look down to the saddle.

Judging by the sobs that shook Korra’s body and the utter gut wrenching noises of pain she was making, Kuvira could tell whatever had happened between the blast from the spirit canon to present was bad. Bad for the group, bad for her, and most definitely bad for Korra and whatever had happened to the Avatar spirit.


	2. Spirit

By the time they had landed at the southern water tribe, Korra’s sobs had only progressed from bad to worse. Had Jinora not explained the change to Korra’s spirit, one might have thought anyone close to the Avatar could have died and taken part of her with them. That had been hours ago, however. The group was now huddled in a room, waiting on word from Katara, Kya, or Jinora. The man Kuvira recognized as Korra’s father was glaring at her, her own eyes falling to the floor. 

“What happened while you were in the spirit world?”

Kuvira didn’t have to see Asami looking at her to know the question had been directed to her. “The last thing I remember was Korra holding off the blast from the spirit canon. After that, I woke up in the spirit world.” Kuvira closed her eyes, both in shame and in attempts to remember better. “When I opened my eyes, she was over me, making sure I was okay. I thought she was attacking me, so I shoved her off and stumbled a few feet away from her.” Kuvira ignored Lin’s grip tightening on her shoulder. “I thought I was dead, and that she had died with me. She had to explain to me that a new spirit portal had been created and that we were in the spirit world. We talked, and she helped me through the portal. You know the rest.”

“You talked?” Kuvira turned her head at Tonraq’s tone. 

“What exactly did you talk about?” Mako joined in. If the hostility in the room was a knife she’d be shredded to bits. 

“..I explained why I did what I did. Why I did all of it. She explained it all from her point of view… from yours.” Kuvira shook her head, looking back up to them. “I was trying to help my people. I didn’t want any of this to happen.”

“But it did.” Mako continued. Kuvira looked to Asami, the woman’s gaze on her though she wasn’t speaking. Before anyone could get in another word, Jinora and Kya emerged from the back room. Jinora shook her head at the eyes on her.

“I can’t sense the light spirit at all.” Jinora muttered. “Or any spirit.”

Tenzin was the first to take a step towards her. “What are you saying?”

Jinora looked to the floor. “While her body and soul are fine, Korra has no spirit anymore.”

“Shouldn’t she be regular, then? Just no Avatar?” Bolin asked nervously.

Tenzin had shared Jinora’s downcast gaze, looking up to meet Bolin. “In many cultures, we are all believed to be made of three things. Soul, body, and spirit. The body is the skin and bones we walk in. The soul connects us to our senses, desires, affections, and appetites. The spirit is the part of us that connects or refuses to connect to the spirit world. Everyone has a spirit, not just the Avatar,” Bolin’s face fell. 

“What does that mean? That she has no spirit?” Lin was the next to speak.

“I can only assume something happened to the light spirit when the new spirit portal was created. The light spirit WAS Korra’s spirit. All she has now is her body and soul.” Jinora explained. 

“..and what does that mean for her..?” Asami spoke, her voice just above a whisper. 

“Every part of her brought on by her role as the Avatar was ripped away. When the Avatar is reincarnated, it’s believed that their personality will be opposite to their personality in their past life. Korra in this case being the opposite of Aang. Before, the Avatar spirit had guided that. Now, she has no reason. No push to be the opposite. She could wake up and act entirely different.” Jinora continued.

“Wake up?” Mako asked.

“We had to sedate her,” Kya spoke this time. “She couldn’t stop crying or turning long enough for us to try to figure out what was wrong.”

There was a silence.

“What parts of her are going to be left..?” 

Kuvira looked to the woman at Tonraq’s side when she spoke. It was a woman she hadn’t met before, but based on the position of the two she could only assume it to be Korra’s mother.

“Anything not forced by the Avatar spirit. She’s still going to remember and feel the same towards anyone she had an existing relationship with. Her favorite foods will remain the same, her habits will be the same, and her goals or motivations will be the same unless it’s something influenced by her role as the Avatar. But she won’t be able to bend; at least not all of the elements.”

“What can we do?” Kuvira could feel the eyes of the group turn to her as she spoke. Jinora too stared at her for a moment, before sighing.

“I’m going to go into the spirit world to try to find some more answers as to what happened to the light spirit.” This time, Jinora softened her gaze. “It might help if you came along.”

“Absolutely not,” “No way.” Tenzin and Lin spoke at once, not bothering to look at each other.

“Jinora, that woman destroyed half of Republic City. You’re not going anywhere with her alone.”

“I didn’t say we were going alone,” Jinora defended. She looked to Lin and Su at Kuvira’s side. “Would she be able to if one of you came along?” Lin gave Su a look, then Tenzin. 

“If it means Korra gets better, I’ll go.” Jinora nodded at Lin’s words, turning to her father.

Tenzin shook his head. “I don’t understand why she needs to go with you.”

“She was the last person with Korra before she lost her spirit. There could be something she hadn’t noticed that could help us.” Jinora explained. When Tenzin still wasn’t convinced, Kuvira stepped forward, ignoring the metal tightening on her shoulders. One wrong move and Lin would stay true to her word. 

“I won’t bring any harm to your daughter, Tenzin. When fighting for control over the earth kingdom, it was because I wanted to help my people. I realize now that I had the right motivations, but the wrong actions. In trying to help my people I only made the situation worse. The world doesn’t need a dictator right now.” The metal around her shoulders softened. “It needs the Avatar.” 

Tenzin stared Kuvira in the eyes, as if searching for some sign that she was lying through her teeth. When he found none, he walked closer to her face. “If anyone who goes on this trip doesn’t come back and you do, I will make it my own personal mission to make sure you spend the rest of your life rotting in prison.” He then turned to Jinora, nodding. “You can take her but only if Lin goes with you.”

Jinora nodded. “Asami?” Asami turned. “I could use your mind on this one. I may understand a lot of spiritual things, but there’s a lot about this world I still need to learn. You’re one of the brightest minds we’ve got.” Asami nodded.

“I’m in.”

“Then it’s settled.” Lin spoke, glancing around the crowd. “Jinora, Asami, Kuvira and I will go into the spirit world to find answers. Anyone else have any special abilities they’d care to attribute to the team?” Silence. “Then let’s not waste any more time than we already have.”


	3. The Library

“How do we know the portal wasn’t the reason Korra’s spirit was ripped out?”

Jinora turned to Lin, shaking her head. “We don’t.”

“Well that’s not very assuring. Who wants to go first?” Without another seconds hesitation, Kuvira stepped into the portal. Lin gave Jinora a look, watching her shrug and step into the light. Asami gave Lin a nod, stepping into the portal herself. “I better retain my soul, body, AND spirit,” Lin grumbled, stepping into the light with her eyes squeezed shut. She opened them when she felt a hand touch her shoulder, stopping to see Asami looking up in awe. She did the same, expression mirroring the engineers.

Kuvira looked to the two, sitting down on the floor and looking over to Jinora, getting a nod. Kuvira closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Korra talking to her, Korra helping her up, Korra walking with her to the spirit portal. Korra’s breathing, Korra’s body seizing, Korra’s body going limp. “I don’t think this meditating thing is working,” Kuvira spoke, eyes still closed. 

“Just focus,” Jinora urged. “Often when we meditate on our thoughts, they can become clearer and we end up better understanding them.”

Kuvira tuned out the world after that, focusing her mind on the past events. Korra had risked everything to save her life. The least she could do was the meditate. Korra talking to her, Korra helping her up, Korra walking with her to the spirit portal. Korra’s breathing, Korra’s body seizing, Korra’s body going limp. Korra’s breathing, Korra talking to her, Korra walking with her to the spirit portal, Korra’s body going limp. Nothing.

Kuvira opened her eyes, shaking her head. “The only thing becoming more and more clear is that meditating on it is going to be a waste of time.” Jinora gave her a sheepish smile.

“At least you tried? Meditation is about letting go of your earthly attachments. You’re an earth bender, so I’m not surprised you weren’t able to.”

Kuvira narrowed her eyes. “Then why’d you have me do it?”

“It wasn’t going to hurt to try.” Jinora turned to Lin and Asami after that, finding that the two were looking over their way. “Are you guys ready to go?”

“Where are we going, exactly..?” Asami asked, nerves clear in her voice. The times she had met any sort of spirit hadn’t exactly been pleasant. Not to mention the stories she had heard from Korra.

“I think we might be able to find something in Wan Shi Tong’s library,” Jinora explained. “I was there just before Korra’s fight with Unalaq and Vaatu,”

“How do we get to this library?” Lin questioned, arms folded across her chest.

Jinora turned her head at a spirit, smiling when the small butterfly landed on her wrist. “The spirits have led me to many places before. I think they might want to lead us there now,”

“You don’t know where the library is?” Kuvira asked. Jinora gave her a look, shaking her head. 

“I found it last time by accident, and I haven’t been back since. I trust the spirits to guide us there safely,”

-

Tenzin watched Senna brush a hand over her unconcious daughter’s forehead, sniffling as she moved her hand down to Korra’s and held it. “What happens if they can’t find a way for her spirit to return..?” 

As much as Tenzin wanted to assure the woman everything would be okay, he couldn’t. “I’m not sure.”

“You’re not sure..?”

Tenzin shifted. “There are many times it is believed man receives soul and spirit. At conception, between conception and birth, at birth, and after birth. I’ve never heard of anyone quite literally losing their spirit. Korra may be able to slowly build her own spirit over time, but such a thing could take years. For right now, it would be best if we put our faith into the others in finding the light spirit.”

The room was quiet again after that, Tenzin shifting his gaze to the other side of the room. Katara gave him a silent look, Kya walking up next to him and rubbing his shoulder. 

“Jinora will find something.”

-

“Wow…” Kuvira muttered, looking over the architecture. 

“This place is quite impressive.”

“I could live here and read forever,” Asami trailed off. She nearly jumped out of her skin when a large owl landed in front of Jinora, watching as the young girl smiled at it.

“Do you humans have to say that everytime you come here?” The owl sighed, twisting its head sideways. 

“Wan Shi Tong. It’s been a long time,”

“It has.” The owl muttered bitterly, head twisting back to normal. “What do you want and why have you brought more humans to my library?”

“The Avatar’s in trouble,” Jinora frowned. “I need to find a way to help her.”

The owl stared at Jinora, before ducking its head closer to her. “What information do you have to offer?”

Jinora’s gut twisted. “...Last time I was here you told me to lead with the fact that I knew the Avatar,”

“I did but I never said you didn’t have to exchange knowledge.” The owl backed up, looking at the group as a whole. “If you have no knowledge to exchange, you have no place in my library.”

“Wait,” Asami squeezed her hands together. “If I give you four pieces of new-to-you knowledge, will you let us all in?”

The owl adjusted its feet. “I suppose that would work.”

Asami looked up at the ceiling, focusing on her thoughts rather than her sight. “For one piece of information, I’ve been working on a new piece of technology. Zinc and carbon are both fundamental elements in our bodies. I believe I could build a dry cell primary battery with both to provide direct electric current from the electrochemical reaction between zinc and manganese dioxide.”

Lin stared at Asami as if she had three heads, the owl humming. “...That sounds like it might work. That’s one.”

“Do you know about Varrick’s movers?”

“I do.”

“What if I said I had an idea to send those images via signal?” The owl tilted its head. “If sound can be transmitted across nations via soundwaves, theoretically, you could do the same with images.”

“How would it work?”

“A camera would turn the image and sound into signals. A transmitter would send those signals through the air, and the receiver would capture those signals and turn them back into picture and sound.”

The owl narrowed his gaze, Asami offering a forced smile. “I’ll allow it. That’s two.”

“Okay…” Asami looked to Jinora, seeing the young girl’s excited smile. Asami continued her gaze on the young girl, eyes narrowing at her clothes before a scrap of an idea popped into her head. “What if there was a way for airbenders to generate power?” 

“Elaborate.”

“Well, kinda the same way an engine turning gives power to a satomobile. There would be propellers that would turn when pushed by air. As the propellers turned, the kinetic energy from the wind would be turned into electrical energy. This could be used to power almost anything you wanted,”

“That’s three. What is your fourth offering?”

Asami cringed. Her brain was starting to hurt. “Uh…” she looked back to Lin and Kuvira in hopes of noticing one thing to spark inspiration. Instead, she came up empty. “Uhm,”

“I’m waiting.”

Kuvira raised an eyebrow, nodding her head upwards. “Do you know about spirit vines being converted into energy?”

Lin gave her a look, as if telling her to shut up. The owl tilted his head in the other direction, moving just in front of Kuvira’s face. “How does that work?”

Kuvira shrugged. “The spirit world is full of energy. I took it, and made it into something we could use.” It wasn’t a total lie. Varrick and Baatar Jr. had been the one’s to convert it, however.

“That’s not a very detailed explanation,” The owl pulled his head back. “But I’ll let it slide. I didn’t know things from our world possessed energy in yours.” He paused. “Next time you bring me knowledge, it better not be about your human crap. You may look around, but don’t break anything.” He warned, the group collectively tensing as he flew off. 

“How did you come up with all of those?” Jinora asked Asami excitedly, watching the woman shrug her shoulders. 

“Panic, mostly.”

“Well it sure as hell sounded like you knew what you were talking about. Should I expect to see any large propellers for air or movers in my house anytime soon?” Lin commented.

“I’ll bring it up with research and development and get back to you on that.” Asami huffed.

Jinora knelt down as a dog approached her, licking her hand and wagging its tail. “Can you show me where the books are on the connection between soul, body, and spirit?” As if the dog understood her, it barked and began trotting off in one direction. Jinora looked up to the other three members of her group, nodding her head as a gesture to follow deeper into the library.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually tried to research some things for Asami to come up with. As far as I remember, none of the things she mentioned existed in the Avatar universe. The battery maybe, but the kind she mentions is the kind that's in cell phones. Thanks for reading!


	4. Lemerence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I know Asami and Korra weren't together during most of season 4, but for ease and plot, they were here.

“I appreciate you staying,” Tenzin trailed off, looking at Su, now in the room they had been waiting in previously. The group had decided Korra’s parents should be the first she sees once she wakes up. “With Lin and Kuvira in the spirit world, I'm glad to have someone with metal bending abilities in case anything happens.” Tenzin glanced over to Bolin. “...No offense.”

Bolin shrugged. “None taken. I don’t think surrounding Korra in a pit of magma is gonna help anybody.”

Su smiled at the boy when he said that. “It’s no problem, Tenzin. There isn’t much for me to do without Kuvira here anyways.” Tenzin still smiled at her in appreciation, the group falling silent again.

Tenzin had decided to meditate on his thoughts while he waited, losing time as he sat on the floor. It was Kya’s appearance that woke him, eyes snapping open and head turning in her direction. “Tenzin,” The man looked to Su when Kya immediately went back to the room, the airbender and metal bender following suit. 

When Tenzin entered the room, he didn’t know what he had been expecting, but Korra hugging her mother and screaming surely wasn’t it. Whimpers of pain were filling the room, a thin coat of sweat collecting on Korra’s forehead. “Dad-” Korra whimpered, Tonraq at her side, squeezing her hand. 

“I’m right here, Korra,”

The girl seemed to almost ignore this, squeezing Tonraq’s hand so hard he was sure it might break. Another guttural scream left her lips, hand leaving instead to grab her chest. “What can I do-” Suyin managed to speak. Though she hadn’t seen as much of the Avatar as the others in the room had, she certainly had never seen her like this. The only thing that came close was after her fight with Zaheer; and even then, she hadn’t been in such a visible state of pain. 

“There isn’t anything we can do,” Kya huffed, standing tense along the wall.

“Tenzin,” The airbender turned to his mother, eyes pleading for instructions. “Try to talk to her. Maybe you can calm her down.”

Tenzin nodded, approaching the side of the bed Korra’s parents weren’t on. “Korra?” He asked, placing his hand on her forehead. The girl didn’t even look in his direction, too occupied with squeezing at her chest in pain. “Korra, do you know what happened?” Korra ignored him, instead letting her head fall back. The scream that left her lips after was far worse than the rest, sending shivers down the spine of everyone both in and out of the room. Tenzin didn’t have to look to know Bolin and Mako were at the door. 

“Can’t you sedate her again?!”

Kya shook her head. “If we use it too much it wont work when we need it,”

Another whimper of pain left Korra’s lips, sobs following as she moved around on the bed. A few more sobs echoed in the room, before it went quiet. Tonraq looked up to Tenzin from his daughter’s limp body. “Wait- W- What happened-?”

“She just passed out,” Katara assured, ushering Tenzin out of the way. “It could be from a number of things. Hyperventilating, most likely,”

Tenzin stared down at the body of his former student, eyes unmoving when Senna spoke to him. “Why is she reacting like this? I thought it was her spirit that was gone?”

Tenzin nodded. “It is. It’s most likely that her body is trying to compensate for the lack of feeling by pushing the soul to be and feel more. If that’s the case, everything she’s feeling towards every relationship she’s formed is undoubtedly twice as strong as it was before; if not more. It’s a surge of several emotions that she’s no doubt feeling all at once.”

-

Lin slammed a book shut, moving forward to grab another. 

“Was there anything helpful?” 

Lin shook her head. “Just things we already knew. That we’re made of body, soul, and spirit.”

Kuvira shook her head, looking back down to the book in her hands. “When I imagined saving the Avatar spirit, I didn’t think it would be reading a bunch of books,”

There was no response after that, everyone going back to skimming the pages in their hands. It was Jinora who spoke next, voice very obviously plagued with nerves. “Asami..?”

“Yeah?”

Jinora didn’t look up from the book as she spoke. “You and Korra grew close while she was away. Do you know if your relationship meant anything more than friends to her?”

Despite the situation, Asami could feel the heat rising to her cheeks when Lin and Kuvira looked at her. “...It did. We were waiting until after we dealt with Kuvira to say anything…” Lin turned her attention back to the book in her hands. “Why..?”

“Do you care about Korra?” The words were sharp.

Asami was almost offended. “What?”

“Are you more concerned with caring for her or securing her affection, Asami?!”

“Caring for her-” “-and how does she feel about you?? You need to be absolutely sure, Asami. Not just what you think.” 

Asami wracked her mind of every memory of the two, every note exchanged, every touch shared. “Korra cares about me, too.”

When Jinora dropped the book in her hands and stood up, Asami gave her an incredulous look. “You need to get back, now.”

“We’re leaving-?” Kuvira asked, struggling onto her feet with Lin doing the same as Jinora grabbed Asami’s arm and pulled her towards where they came in.

“I almost wish you hadn’t said that.”

Asami was completely confused. “What is that supposed to mean??”

Jinora briefly looked back as she explained, nearly running to the entrance. “All Korra has to feel now is her affections or bonds to other people. The strongest bond throughout the course of someone’s life is thought to be the bond between mother and child for the few years following birth. The bond second to that is an affectional bond.” Jinora looked Asami up and down, shaking her head. “If Korra’s feelings towards you aren't a limerent reaction, if she cares about you and not just your affection, you’re the strongest bond she has right now.” Asami’s heart plummeted into her stomach. “You’re the strongest thing she has and you’re not even there.”


	5. Okay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, this chapter is MESSY! I almost considered just skipping over this entirely, but I wanted to try to write it so there wasn't just a gap. So, here's what is LITERALLY just a filler.

It was when they reached the spirit portal to the south that they stopped, Asami’s heart thudding in her chest. She was one step from being back in their world, one stop from being closer to Korra, when a spirit she hadn’t recognized was in front of them. 

“Raava…” Jinora mumbled, shaking her head. She turned to Asami, a look of conflict on her face. “You guys go back, I’ll be right behind you.”

Lin shook her head. “Tenzin will kill me if I leave you here alone.”

“I’ve been here alone before-” “-years ago. I trust your father and the fact that not all spirits are safe.”

Jinora squinted her eyebrows. “I don’t need a babysitter, it's the spirit of LIGHT-” “-who ripped Korra of her spirit. Maybe the spirit is evil now-” “-what!”

Asami cringed. “I can take myself, y’know!” Nothing. 

Kuvira turned to Asami at her words, sighing. “I’ll go back with Asami, you stay with Jinora.”

“Absolutely not-” “-I can handle myself, now can we go??”

Lin stared at the two for a second, as if debating, before sighing and pointing her finger at Kuvira. “My promise still stands.”

“C’mon,” Asami grumbled, taking a step into the spirit portal, Kuvira backing in after her.

It was still a good while before they were at Katara’s, Asami’s heart dropping into her stomach at the screams she could hear from outside the building. Kuvira watched Asami run off, giving a steady pace to her jog as she followed after the engineer. When Asami opened the door and pushed through, the last thing Kuvira was expecting was the metal on her shoulders to bend and hold her throat, legs and waist to the wall when she followed.

“Where’s Jinora?” Tenzin was the first to speak, Kuvira watching Asami disappear towards Korra’s room.

“Spirit world-” She managed to choke out, closing her eyes when the metal was tightened. She was going to suffocate before they got any answers out of her. 

“Why didn’t she and Lin come back with you?” Su was the next to speak, Kuvira moving her hands up to grab at the metal. She pulled, resisting the urge to bend it back at the woman. Then she would surely end up dead.

“Raava-” Kuvira choked. When the metal tightened, cutting off all air flow, Tenzin turned to Su and waved his hand, the metal soon clanging to the floor. Kuvira fell with it, bringing her still cuffed hands up to grab at her throat. 

“What happened with Raava?” Tenzin questioned, at her side there after. He didn’t dare touch her or comfort her in any way.

Kuvira gasped for air, looking up to him. “They’re both fine,” her voice was hoarse. The damn metal was going to leave a mark. “Raava stopped us when we were running out. Jinora and Lin stayed back to talk to-- it,” 

“Running?” Su questioned. 

Kuvira let out a big puff of air. Were they going to give her a second to catch her breath? “Yes, because Asami-” she took another large breath of air, letting it out. “-has some sort of bond with Korra.”

“A bond?” Bolin was the next to speak. 

Mako shook his head. “That’d make sense as to why she could get Korra to stop screaming,” at the mention, all three heads perked up. He was right. “-but what’s so different about Asami’s bond with Korra then mine or Bolin’s? We’ve known her longer?”

Kuvira moved one leg, slowly standing up with her hand touching her tender throat. “That’s none of my business to tell you.”

“Like hell it isn’t-” “-Mako, calm down,”

Every head turned to Jinora and Lin as they entered, Tenzin making his way over to hug his daughter. Lin and Su nodded at one another. “Are you hurt?” Tenzin’s voice was going a hundred miles a minute, his brain no doubt doing the same.

“I’m fine,” Jinora urged, briefly giving a hug back before pushing out of the man’s embrace. “It is Asami and Korra’s business to tell you.”

“Why do you guys get to know?”

“Because in a moment of panic Jinora had to think fast and ask out loud. There isn’t much time to be discreet when the Avatar’s health is in the balance.” Lin answered for Jinora, Mako practically shrinking down to half his size. 

“What did the light spirit have to say?” It was Bolin again.

Jinora shook her head. “Raava was the one who opened the new portal. She’s drained. She just needs time to recover in the spirit world before she can come back and be with Korra,”

“-and until then? How long is that going to be?” Though Tenzin was trying to keep his cool, Kuvira could feel the nerves as he spoke. 

“I don’t know. Neither does she. Hopefully, soon.” Jinora mumbled, before her gaze turned toward the hallway. “How bad is it..?”

“This is the first time she hasn’t been screaming since she was sedated when she got here.” Su spoke.

“Screaming..?” Lin gave the group who stayed a look of surprise.

Tenzin nodded. “She hyperventilated earlier. Knocked herself out.” He turned to his daughter. “If you say Asami will help with it, then I’ll find a way to make more Asami’s if I have to. As long as I don’t have to hear her screaming like that again.”

The group shared a small smile at the humor, before Jinora looked up to the brothers. “Can I see how she’s doing?”

“Sure. Asami didn’t really tell us to get out, or anything.” Bolin started. 

“We figured that we didn’t want to do something by accident for Korra to start crying like that again and we left,” Mako finished. The pair moved out of the way as Jinora started walking towards Korra’s room. Kuvira gave Lin and Su a quiet glance. Su looked to her sister, Lin nodding her head. Kuvira followed Jinora towards the room, the rest staying back. 

When she poked her head around the corner, Kuvira felt herself relax. Instead of Korra curled up, sobbing and screaming like the group had described, the Avatar was currently curled into Asami’s side with tears quietly streaming down her face. Asami didn’t immediately look up as Kuvira took a step into the room, Jinora already at the bedside with her eyes closed in focus. Asami was softly stroking the Avatar’s hair, chin resting on Korra’s shoulder as she held her free arm around the girl. Korra was the first of the two to notice Kuvira’s presence, though had Kuvira not been looking at her she wouldn’t have known. Korra simply looked up to see Kuvira, and looked back down at Asami’s hand on her waist. Asami however, held Kuvira’s gaze. “Thank you for coming back with me,”

Kuvira gave a sheepish shrug. “They weren’t going to let you come back on your own.”

Asami gave a small shake of her head. “You could have run off, or taken me hostage. Instead, you made sure I got back here. Thank you for that.”

Kuvira stood anxiously. A few minutes passed in silence, Kuvira leaning up against the entrance wall, before she mustered up the courage to speak. “You weren’t alone in that hummingbird suit, were you.”

Asami didn’t bother to look up. “I was with my father.”

Kuvira squeezed her own hand. “I didn’t think he was going to stay in the suit.”

“But he did.”

Kuvira frowned. She deserved this treatment, but it didn’t mean it wasn’t going to sting a little bit. “I’m sorry.”

Asami looked up, giving Kuvira a quick glance over, before nuzzling her chin back into Korra’s shoulder. “Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I'm not sure what I did, but I think I broke the notes at the end? The one I posted at the end of chapter one has shown up at the bottom of the latest chapter since I posted them. ALSO- I couldn't remember if anyone knew Raava's name. YOLO I guess. Next chapter is gonna be the definition of hurt/comfort! (:


	6. On Your Mind

Korra opened her eyes, blinking the blur away as she noticed a face in front of her. She wasn’t sure when she had fallen asleep, only that Asami had been there when she had. 

“Korra..?”

Korra turned her head back to the face, taking note of her mother’s puffy red eyes. She felt a hand squeeze her own, looking over to see her father behind her mother. 

“How are you feeling, Korra..?” This time it was Katara who spoke, Korra turning her head to the other side to see her. Korra scanned the room. Asami wasn’t there. She tried to ignore the pang in her chest, as well as the tears that sprang to her eyes.

“Fine…” She mumbled, body betraying her as her lip started quivering when she sat up. Katara gave her a look, Korra taking a few shaky breaths as another tear fell. “It hurts.”

“What does, Korra..?”

Korra shook her head, the tears falling at a more steady pace. “My chest. My head,-” Korra took another deep shaky breath. “-and I know it’s because I’m upset and I shouldn’t be so upset over these things but-” a choked sob interrupted her words. Korra closed her eyes, a series of tears falling. “-It won’t stop.”

Senna reached forward, engulfing her daughter in a hug. Korra broke down in her arms, the sobs coming out more frequently. Tonraq let go of his wife’s hand, standing and exiting the room. Korra didn’t notice, instead wrapping her arms tight around her mother. “I love you,” another sob broke apart her words. “-and dad. I love you guys,”

Senna rubbed Korra’s back. “We know, sweetie. We love you too.”

Katara gave Korra a sad look. There was nothing she could do. She couldn’t heal a broken spirit, much less a missing one. The best she could do was make sure Korra didn’t dehydrate herself or inflict any harm to her own body; a very real possibility Tenzin had explained Korra might see as an opening to release those feelings. 

A few moments later, Tonraq walked back in the room, Asami in towe. It was clear Asami had quickly slipped on her clothes, hair in a towel - most likely from a bath. “Korra,” Asami started, the blue eyed girl turning to meet her gaze. Asami walked over, sitting on the edge of the bed and wrapping her arms around the sobbing girl. Korra was hugged by both her mom and Asami for what felt like hours before Asami assured Senna and Tonraq that they could go grab food. The parents shared a look, offering Asami thanks as they reluctantly left the room. Korra wrapped herself around Asami’s waist, breath still shaky despite the lack of sobbing. Asami wiped a tear from Korra’s eye, holding the Avatar close to her chest. “What are you thinking..?”

Korra looked up to see if Katara was still in the room, falling back against Asami when she realized she wasn’t. “A lot.” When Asami huffed above her, Korra nuzzled her head into Asami’s chest and stared at the wall. “I’m thinking about how after Zaheer, I had to leave to get better,” Asami could hear her choke on her words as if she was about to start crying again. “-and how I left you and everyone here, and how you started to progress with things without me,” A heavier flow of tears was soaking her shirt. “-and how I couldn’t be there, and how I’m doing bad again, and you guys are going to leave-” Korra’s voice caught in her throat, a sob coming out instead. 

Asami shook her head, rubbing her hand over Korra’s arm. “I’m not leaving. No one’s going to leave you, Korra,”

Another sob left Korra’s lips. “We aren’t going to be as close some day. You, me, and Mako, and Bolin-” Korra was actively crying now, the sobs no longer spaced or held back. “I don’t want us to grow apart. I love you guys. I want us to be close forever-” Korra whimpered. “I don’t want us to get old and never talk to each other- I need you guys-” 

Asami pulled Korra closer - if such a thing was possible - and rested her chin on Korra’s head. “We’re not going to leave you, Korra. I certainly don’t plan on it. I waited three years for you, what makes you think I wouldn’t wait a lifetime?” Korra let out another sob. “Bolin and Mako continued to write to you when you were gone, even if you didn’t respond. I’m pretty sure you couldn’t get rid of them if you tried,” Asami smiled when Korra let out a half laugh. “We’re going to be close. Always. All of us. No one’s going to forget about you, and I certainly won’t let you get left behind.”

Korra’s voice wavered when she spoke; not out of uncertainty but because she was holding back tears. “I love you.”

Asami hesitated for a mere second. They hadn’t said that yet, but Tenzin had explained the surge of emotions to her when Korra had fallen asleep. “I love you too, Korra.” Korra’s grip around her waist tightened, Asami letting out a half sigh. If Korra was in such a fragile state because she loved her, the rejection of that love not being reciprocated would be devastating. Asami was thankful Tenzin had spoken to her before and given her time to think about it. So she could expect those words. So she could realize that she meant them when she returned them. 

“I love you, Asami.”

“I know, Korra. I love you too.”

Korra’s lip quivered. “I love you.” Before Asami could speak, Korra continued. “-and I know I’m saying it a lot, but I don’t- I don’t know how to express it-” “-it’s okay,” Asami whispered. “I know. I love you too.”


	7. Feeling

Three days had passed since their return from the spirit world, in which Raava had revealed she was going to need time to heal. Kuvira was currently sitting in a cell on her own at the police station in downtown Republic City, the other criminals shoved into the other cell to avoid any fights. Chief Beifong was off in her office, speaking with President Raiko and Su about what to do with Kuvira. 

Kuvira had been alone for the past hour or more as she thought over the weeks past events. The fight for Republic City, the new spirit portal, Korra, the screaming. Korra had been fine while she was in the spirit world. Why had it taken so long since the creation of the portal for Korra to feel the effects? Maybe the spirit had slowly been leaving..? But if that was the case, surely Korra would have been showing signs before then. It wasn’t until they stepped into the spirit portal that she started to hurt. 

Kuvira’s eyes widened. It wouldn’t be a permanent solution, and it certainly wasn’t a guarantee, but it was worth a try. She stood from the seat, walking up to the metal bars that held her in place. “Beifong!” Kuvira yelled, ignoring the snickers and glances from the other criminals in the cell adjacent to hers. She held onto the bars, sighing when no one came. “Beifong!” 

Five minutes, no response. 

Kuvira sighed, face falling. She bent the bars with ease, stepping between them, watching the other criminals gape as she started walking around the station. She ignored the cuffs around her wrists, glancing down hallways and walking aimlessly until she found the office she was looking for. When she walked into the office, every set of eyes turned to her.

“What is she doing out-” “-I TOLD you she was just going to bend the metal-!” “-Why did you leave??”

Kuvira gave them all a deadpan stare. “Relax. I’m not out to break anything or cause any more damage. I had an idea about what to do with Korra.”

Su and President Raiko both relaxed, Lin narrowing her eyes. “-you broke out to talk to us?”

Kuvira shrugged. “You weren’t coming to me.” At a sigh, Kuvira continued. “When we were in the spirit world, Korra was fine.”

“You already said that.” Suyin spoke.

“Yes, but you're not understanding what I mean. She was fine in the spirit world,”

“-so she might be fine if we take her back,” Lin finished the thought as she realized, crossing her arms. She turned to her sister. “I’ll go give Tenzin a call. You,” The chief turned back to Kuvira. “Stay put. I can’t put you into the cell obviously, so I guess we’re stuck babysitting.” With that, Lin turned on her heel and walked out of the room. Su turned to her, glaring as a warning. Kuvira simply sat in one of the chairs, resting her arms on her lap.

-

Asami looked up as Tenzin entered the room, the man waving a hand toward her. Asami moved to get up, feeling Korra quickly grab her wrist. “Asami..?” The woman’s heart hurt at Korra’s tone.

Asami grabbed Korra’s hand, offering her a small smile. “I’m just going to be out in the hallway with Tenzin. I’m not leaving, Korra.” 

“Okay…” Korra’s eyes resembled that of a puppy’s. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Asami watched as more tears welled to Korra’s eyes when she walked to the hall. She would have to hurry this conversation. Standing in front of Tenzin, Asami sighed. “Please tell me you have good news,”

“It might be.” Tenzin started. “Lin just called. Kuvira had an idea of what we might be able to do. It wouldn’t be a permanent solution, but it would work for the time being.”

Asami nodded. “What is it?”

“Korra was fine until she left the spirit world. Kuvira thinks if we bring Korra back into the spirit world, it might help.”

Asami crossed her arms. “It makes sense… How long will Korra have to be in the spirit world..?”

Tenzin shook his head. “I have no idea. We’ll have to see if it works, first,”

Asami nodded. “I’ll go talk to Korra.”

“I’ll go prep Oogi.”

Asami made her way back into the room where Korra was curled into a ball on the bed. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, her chin quivering and breathing shaky. “Hey,” Korra looked up, grabbing Asami’s hand when the woman came close enough to the bed. Asami was pulled down on top of Korra, the Avatar wrapping her arms around her. 

“What was that about..?” Korra asked, sniffling. 

“Kuvira thought of something that might help.” Asami answered, squeezing the girl in her grip. “How did you feel before you left the spirit world? After you opened the portal?”

Asami could feel Korra shrug. “Fine..? My chest felt like it was burning, but it didn’t-” Korra took another shaky breath. “-it didn’t feel like this…” 

“Well, Tenzin thinks it might be enough to keep you good for a while until your spirit can come back,” Asami explained. Korra tensed.

“If I stay there..?”

“Mhm.”

Asami could hear the fear in Korra’s voice. “Are you going to go with me..?”

“Of course I am,” Asami frowned, hugging Korra tighter. “I won’t leave your side until you tell me to, Korra.”

“Promise..?”

“I promise.” Asami gave Korra a small, sad smile as she pulled back a bit. “C’mon. Let’s get you cleaned up and we can stop to pack some things in case we end up staying.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The thought of them not thinking to put Kuvira behind platinum bars and Kuvira just bending her way out to have a conversation with them is so funny to me. Sorry, LOL


	8. End

Okay, so, no, this isn't going to be written like the other chapters. It's basically one big note, but it IS the end of the story. I have never in my years of writing done something like this, but for the past few days I've been struggling to write the ending and I'm at a point where I know if I continue to wait, it won't get done. If I force myself to write it, it's gonna be sloppy and not cover even half of what needs to be said. Instead, I'm just going to explain it. I'm sorry if you read the entire story only for it to end like this; it was never my intention.

Korra isn't as effected in the spirit world, and isn't over flowing with years worth of emotions. Asami and Korra stay in the spirit world near the portal for several months until Raava is healed; Asami continuing to take care of Korra while managing Future Industries. Korra never leaves the spirit world during this time, Asami being the one to leave every so often to get materials, take papers to the company, and bring back supplies they need. 

Eventually, Raava is healed enough to return to Korra. While she was healing, Raava managed to reconnect with the past avatar lives. Korra and Asami return to the normal world, Korra having reestablished herself with her spirit and her bending. Kuvira is on house arrest in Zaofu. The end.

Again, I never meant to have the end of this short story be something as measly as an explanation from me, but I thought this was the best option to preserve what there is of the story. I hope you guys enjoyed the other chapters, and I appreciate you taking the time to read it. Happy reading!

**Author's Note:**

> More notes (boo!). I just wanted to sneak in here that although I've watched the show three times over, there are still some small things I might not remember: i.e whether or not Kuvira knows Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo are Tenzin's kids, whether or not Kuvira knows who Katara is, that sort of thing. If you know the answer and notice I got it wrong, please excuse it or comment down below if it's fixable. Much appreciated!


End file.
